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The purpose of this booklet is to help those who apply and use the Tri-Blender
understand its principles of operations. With these principles the blender can be
utilized to the fullest.
Basic Operation
The Tri-Blender basically consists of a centrifugal pump head and impeller
mounted so that the normal suction port, or inlet, is pointed upward (see
illustration 1). The inlet piping consists of a patented tube-within-a-tube
arrangement. This serves to keep the liquid and dry ingredients separated
until they are in the mixing chamber. This tube-within-a-tube arrangement
eliminates one of the major problems of wet-dry mixing, that of prewetting.
The natural suction of a centrifugal pump is used to pull the powder from
the hopper through the diffuser tube.
The outer tube is used to direct the liquid into the impeller. The liquid is
introduced at the leading edge of the impeller blades where the pressure gradi-
ent of the Blender head is zero (see illustration 2). Since there is no suc-
tion at this point, liquid must be pumped to the blender by external means,
such as the supply pump (see illustration 3).
The liquid inlet is mounted tangentially. The liquid entering the blender
mixing chamber enters the chamber tangentially, in the same direction the
impeller is rotating. The impeller then strikes the liquid and accelerates it,
with a minimum of splashing. This is how the powder inlet tube can be kept
dry during operation (see illustration 4).
Should excessive splashing occur or the inlet tube plug up, the first thing
to check are impeller rotation and proper inlet tee installation. To check
for proper tee installation, trace an arrow in a continuous path from the
inlet to the outlet, without reversing direction (see illustrations 4 & 5).
In operation, the liquid being pumped into the blender is accelerated out-
ward until it strikes the blender screen. This creates a natural back pres-
sure that causes the liquid to flow downward and back toward the eye of
the impeller (see illustration 6). This forms a hollow envelope into which
the powder is introduced by the natural suction of the blender. When the
blender is operating properly the inlet tube is dry.
If the hollow envelope collapses inward problems may occur: Prewetting
which can cause lumps in the product and/or wetout which can cause plug-
ging of the inlet tube.
MAXIMUM
PRESSURE
Illustration 2
Vacuum
Illustration 1
Illustration 3
*Valves meeting 3A standards, also available
Principles of Operation
Tri-Blender
BULLETIN TBPO-97
Hopper
Valve*
Impeller
Outlet
Eye of
Impeller
Diffuser
Tube
Outer Tube
Area
Screen
Liquid
Inlet
Blending
Chamber
Illustration 5
Illustration 6
Illustration 4
Correct
Wrong
Flow and sizing of the auxiliary supply and discharge
pumps is very important for proper operation of the
blender.
Pumps are sized to maintain recommended flow at fi-
nal viscosity. In centrifugal pump systems the desired
flow, before addition of powder, is between Points A
and B, as shown on the graph. Flow should never
exceed the upper limit, Point C on the graph. Point C
is where the horsepower requirements of the blenders
will be exceeded.
If the flow would drop below Point B at final viscosity,
a noticeable drop in addition rates will occur. To cor-
rect this it will be necessary to use positive supply and
discharge pumps. This approach assures a uniform
flow rate regardless of viscosity increases.
When positive pumps are used, the flow rates are not
necessarily those which would give maximum vacuum
by the graph. By running the discharge pump faster
than the supply pump, the vacuum formed by the dis-
charge pump can be used to increase the vacuum in
the blender. The advantage of this is that smaller, less
expensive positive pumps can be used to accomplish
the same purpose.
The graph also shows the effect of temperature on the
blender vacuum. It has been found that the maxi-
mum practical limit for aqueous products is 140F
(60C). Above 140F (60C) the water will vaporize
rapidly because of the high vacuum. Vaporizing rap-
idly enough to seriously effect the vacuum as well as
Tri-Blender
X 100 = 21.8%
100
475
Tri-Blender